Brian Nagele
Visiting Miami, Florida can be an unforgettable experience. Some people visit Miami for the art district or the shopping malls, but my favorite part is the beach. The reason I love cities on the coast is because the closer you are to the water, the easier it is to find fresh seafood.
Miami is home to some of the most incredible seafood restaurants in the world, and I went on a mission to find them all. I searched the city high and low for the restaurants with the freshest seafood and what I came back with will blow your mind if you love seafood as much as I do.
This list below contains my ultimate picks for Miami’s best seafood restaurants. The next time you want to experience the bounty of the sea, just use this guide and you’ll find everything you could ever want in terms of delicious fish and shellfish.
Joe’s Stone Crab Restaurant
11 Washington Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33139
Phone: 305-673-0365
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Taking the number one spot on my list is a South Beach fixture, Joe’s Stone Crab Restaurant. This place is where to go in Miami for crab, hands down. They have plenty of space and all the fresh shellfish even the hungriest of guests could handle.
If it’s me, I’m going straight for the king crab legs here at Joe’s, but there are tons of other tantalizing choices like fried lobster tail or the seafood paella.
Check out Joe’s Stone Crab Restaurant over on Washington Avenue near South Pointe Beach and the world-famous Ocean Drive that we’ve all seen in movies.
Mignonette Miami
210 NE 18th St, Miami, FL 33132
Phone: 305-374-4635
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Next up is a place for all the oyster lovers out there like me who can’t get enough of them. Mignonette Miami is one of the must-visit restaurants and it’s located in the quieter part of town. You can find them near Margaret Pace Park and Miami Marriott Biscayne Bay in the Edgewater neighborhood.
They offer a rotating selection of fresh oysters served raw with a couple of different options. I highly recommend the oysters Rockefeller, but there is also the oysters Frank that’s equally divine. If you can’t decide, just go with the flight of oysters for a nice sampler.
La Camaronera Seafood Joint and Fish Market
1952 W Flagler St, Miami, FL 33135
Phone: 305-642-3322
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La Camaronera Seafood Joint and Fish Market is another one of the best places to get seafood in Miami, if you ask me.
They have a few different specialties here that make my mouth water just to write about them. My favorite is the fried corvina steak. Corvina is one of those tasty fish that you don’t often see on menus.
Check out La Camaronera on West Flagler Street in Little Havana, less than a mile southwest of LoanDepot Park. It’s a great place to eat fish or take it home to cook yourself because it’s also a fish market.
Garcia Seafood Grille & Fish Market
398 NW N River Dr, Miami, FL 33128
Phone: 305-375-0765
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This next place is called Garcia’s Seafood Grille & Fish Market and you really have to check them out when you’re in Miami and you want fresh fish. It’s a restaurant and a market, so you can get your fish to go if you prefer to cook it yourself.
I strongly suggest trying the grilled conch steak, it’s one of my favorite menu items. Garcia’s also serves up amazing daily specials like lobster mac and cheese, shrimp mac and cheese, tuna tartare, and tuna tostones.
Look for Garcia’s in the Overtown district near the beautiful Lummus Park Historic District.
The River Oyster Bar
33 SE 7th St Suite 100, Miami, FL 33131
Phone: 305-530-1915
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The River Oyster Bar is the next place I want to mention. This restaurant has some of the best seafood in Miami in my opinion. What I love about this place is that you can order a whole yellowtail snapper cooked Chinese-style with an incredible soy-sesame dressing.
You also might like their mushroom-crusted grouper or the seafood cioppino. The River takes influence from cuisines all around the world, so you can come here and find something you like no matter what you’re in the mood for.
The River is located in Downtown Miami next to the Brickell City Centre shopping mall, just up the road from EAST Miami hotel.
Stiltsville Fish Bar
1787 Purdy Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33139
Phone: 786-353-0477
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Right across the street from Maurice Gibb Memorial Park on Sunset Harbour Drive is Stiltsville Fish Bar. This is one of my favorite places to eat seafood in Miami for a few reasons, not least of which is the delicious food.
I recommend starting your evening here with some of the snapper ceviche as an appetizer. After that, and maybe a drink or two, I would recommend ordering the roasted whole fish. It’s an exciting experience because you get to hand-pick your fish from their selection so you get exactly what you want, depending on what came off the boat that day.
Captain’s Tavern Restaurant
9625 S Dixie Hwy, Miami, FL 33156
Phone: 305-666-5979
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This next place, Captain’s Tavern Restaurant, is a fantastic Miami seafood restaurant because it’s tucked away down in South Miami, away from the hustle and bustle of the big city or the populous beach areas. It’s just south of the Dadeland Mall off US Highway 1.
They serve a whole dinner menu as well as a separate sushi menu here at Captain’s Tavern. There are very few restaurants that have quite as large of an assortment of fresh seafood that Captain’s Tavern has. My favorite dish is the seafood risotto or the curried shrimp and scallops, but there’s no shortage of alternative options.
Casablanca Seafood Bar & Grill
400 NW N River Dr, Miami, FL 33128
Phone: 305-371-4107
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Casablanca Seafood Bar & Grill is a waterfront restaurant overlooking the busy Miami River that I highly recommend visiting for a romantic night out or even just a family dinner. No matter who you come here with, you’ll be munching on tasty fish or shellfish.
What I recommend from Casablanca is the Casablanca grilled parrillada. With this entree, you get prawns, calamari, green shell mussels, oysters, clams, a fish filet, potatoes, and a veggie ragout. It’s the ultimate seafood feast fit for a king, and you can sit back watching the boats calmly pass by while you chow down. It’s so relaxing!
Area 31
270 Biscayne Blvd Way, Miami, FL 33131
Phone: 305-424-5234
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Right inside the Kimpton EPIC Hotel on Biscayne Boulevard, just near the Silverspot Cinema and the James L. Knight Center, is an unbelievably awesome seafood restaurant called Area 31 that everyone should try at least once.
I absolutely love this place for both its location and ambiance. Downtown Miami is such a fun place to be, and it’s even better when you’re eating somewhere like Area 31.
What I recommend from Area 31 is either the Faroe Island salmon or the Islamorada swordfish. Both of these dishes are exquisite, if you ask me. The chef here at Area 31 definitely knows what they’re doing.
CVI.CHE 105
105 NE 3rd Ave, Miami, FL 33132
Phone: 305-577-3454
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CVI.CHE 105 has made my lists before and here it is yet again, so you know this is a good one. I am a huge fan of ceviche, especially when it’s fresh. In my opinion, no one around does ceviche quite like CVI.CHE 105 does.
There are so many options for delicious ceviche here at CVI.CHE 105. My favorite is the pescado a lo macho, this one comes with pieces of fried corvina fish and other mixed seafood with their secret creamy sauce that I would love to know how to make, but it’s a secret known only to the chef.
Old Lisbon Restaurant
Multiple locations
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Old Lisbon Restaurant is a Portuguese establishment that I also make time to visit. It’s located down in Coral Way, not far from Shenandoah Park and Alice Wainwright Park. It’s a great place to get fresh Miami seafood with a gorgeous Portuguese flair.
The highest recommended dish that I could think of from here is the caldeirada de bacalhau. Bacalhau means “codfish” in Portuguese and this dish is basically a stew made with this delicious white fish. This is a classic Portuguese dish that Old Lisbon Restaurant has absolutely perfected. You really can’t go wrong with anything on the menu here, though.
Estiatorio Milos by Costas Spiliadis
730 1st St, Miami Beach, FL 33139
Phone: 305-604-6800
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Way down in the South of Fifth neighborhood in South Beach is a place called Estiatorio Milos by Costas Spiliadis. If it wasn’t clear by the name, this is a Greek restaurant and they do fish like no one else. It’s easily one of my favorite seafood restaurants Miami has.
I always go for the grilled octopus when I’m here at Estiatorio Milos. Another great menu item is the bigeye tuna or the salt baked whole fish. No matter what you order, the fish will be fresh and cooked perfectly, I can assure you.
Be sure to check out their extensive collection of wines from Greece as well.
Kush Coconut Grove
2911 Grand Ave #400d, Coconut Grove, FL 33133
Phone: 305-456-5723
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Just north of Hotel Arya Coconut Grove and Peacock Park is an incredible seafood restaurant called Kush Coconut Grove. This place has some of the freshest fish and shellfish you will ever taste and it’s all prepared with their own unique recipes.
I really love the raw bar here at Kush. They have both east coast oysters and west coast oysters, so you can choose which ones you want. They also have a local fish reuben that quickly took its place as one of my all-time favorite sandwiches the first time I tried it. Check out their selection of fish tacos as well.
A Fish Called Avalon
700 Ocean Dr, Miami Beach, FL 33139
Phone: 305-532-1727
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A Fish Called Avalon is as close as you can get to eating on the water without setting sail on a boat. This place is nestled right into the sandy shores of South Beach, right near Lummus Park, so you can pretty much reach out and touch the water from your table.
I always start with the lobster bisque when I come to A Fish Called Avalon, and I recommend you do the same. After that it’s always a toss-up between the Chilean sea bass or the sesame seared ahi tuna. The saffron seafood risotto is also a tempting option, so choose wisely!
Catch of the Day
1050 NW 42nd Ave, Miami, FL 33126
Phone: 305-446-4500
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This next restaurant, Catch of the Day, is easily one of the best seafood restaurants in Miami thanks to its convenient location in between the Miami International Airport and Magic City Casino in the Flagami neighborhood.
What I love the most about Catch of the Day is that it’s so tropical but it’s also got a major sports bar vibe that makes you want to kick back and watch the game while you enjoy fresh seafood.
I highly recommend splurging on either the Alaskan king crab legs or the snow crab legs. If you’re having trouble making up your mind, just go with the El Capitan platter that comes with a little bit of everything.
Prime Fish
100 Collins Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33139
Phone: 305-532-4550
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Right off of Collins Avenue in South Beach is another one of my favorite Miami seafood restaurants called Prime Fish, and boy do they live up to their name.
This place is so cozy and elegant, especially if you get a table on their gorgeous outdoor courtyard. I highly recommend this restaurant for a romantic dinner out.
What you should order from Prime Fish is a plate of the colossal stone crab claws or a delicious Maine lobster. Either way, you can’t go wrong with anything that you order here, really. Definitely check out the Chef’s Compositions part of the menu for more great choices.
Lure Fish Bar
1601 Collins Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33139
Phone: 305-695-4550
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Lastly, we arrive at Lure Fishbar in Miami Beach. I really love coming here for fresh seafood because it’s right near some other amazing Miami attractions like The Fillmore Miami Beach and the Lincoln Road shopping mall.
I usually recommend starting with some delicious edamame here at Lure Fishbar, but there’s also a rock shrimp tempura appetizer that is simply delectable.
For an entree, the 1.5-pound whole grilled lobster is always tempting, but I also love their seared sea scallops. Don’t forget to check out their various shellfish platters though. Some of them have one of everything so you don’t even have to choose.
As you might expect, Miami has amazing seafood restaurants. If you’re planning a trip to Miami, or even if you live there already, be sure to check out these must-visit seafood restaurants in the city for fresh seafood like you’ve never had before.
Not interested in seafood right now? Take a look at some of these Mexican restaurants in Miami!
Did we leave a restaurant out of this list? Make sure you leave us a comment and we’ll check it out!
